John Drury

I was born and raised in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, graduating from Oak Ridge High School in 1967.  I attended Maryville College and graduated with a degree in Sociology and Secondary Education.  I was entered in the first Draft Lottery and with a draft number of 19, was assured of entering the service upon graduation. Knowing that Viet Nam was in my imminent future, I decided to join the US Air Force.  After Officer Training School, I attended Pilot Training in Enid, Oklahoma.  In the ensuing twenty years, I served at numerous bases worldwide as a pilot, instructor pilot and flight examiner, commanded an ACE Detachment, earned a Masters Degree from Central Michigan University, served a stint with the State Department in Berlin, Germany, and finally retired as the Base Commander at the NATO Base in Oslo, Norway.

Following my retirement and after several months of golf and leisure, I entered pre-med studies at Eastern Washington University, near Spokane Washington.  After completing studies there I was accepted into the Family Nurse Practitioner program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where I graduated with a Master of Science Degree in Nursing.

I worked as a Family Nurse Practitioner in Greeneville, Tennessee for several years in a family practice clinic, thoroughly enjoying every day and every patient.  Life was GOOD!  Yes, I was tired all of the time, weary even, but that was to be expected with the patient load, continuing education, meetings etc. 

Then, in late 1998, after a series of tests to track down the cause of persistent fatigue, the doctor came into the room and BOOM…the dreaded words no patient wants to hear…”I’m sorry, John, but we found cancer…we need to run more tests, but it doesn’t look good…”  The world seemed to crash down around me, and thus started the most challenging period of my life.

Since my diagnosis of Non Hodgkins Lymphoma (NHL), my life has been filled with numerous rounds of chemotherapy with a progression of different drugs, searching for one that might stem the tide of the cancer, a stem cell transplant which at that point was still an experimental procedure, and an amazing discovery process of the challenges of living with and trying to beat this persistent disease.  I soon became sensitive to the often-heard comment that “sometimes the treatment is worse than the disease”! 

Though at this point there is no known cure for NHL (and many other cancers), I have been blessed with doctors who have been aggressive in their approach to treatment and who have been extremely supportive in helping me cope with not only the treatment, but the physical, mental and emotional consequences of undergoing these procedures.  I am also blessed with a wife who has supported me through the good times and the bad… always a candle in the darkness.  To these people, I owe a great debt of gratitude.

I have learned that HOPE is what keeps the cancer patient going… HOPE that the pain and nausea will soon go away….HOPE that the treatment will work…. …HOPE that someone will find a cure… and find it soon enough… and for me… HOPE that I can help others who must travel this journey….

And so…RIDING for HOPE is born.